Signal system.



J. J. RUDDIGK.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 001*. 9, 1911.

1,1 12,385. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

7HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHQTO-LITHOQ WASHINGTOAL D1 C.

J. J. RUDDIGK.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 00w. 9, 1911.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 sums-gum 2.

ERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BUDDICK, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SIGNAL 00., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. RUDDIGK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVest Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signal Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on thedrawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to electrically actua'ted block signal systems for railways and especially to that type of signal systems wherein the circuits that control the setting of the signal to danger and the restoring of the signal to safety are connected to insulated sections of the track rails and are rendered operative for setting or restoring the signal by the passage of a car over such insulated sections.

One advantage of signal systems of this type is that the signal-setting and signalrestoring circuits can be rendered operative merely by the passage of a car over the insulated rail sections and without the use of car actuated tappets, contacts or trolley switches that are liable to get out of order; but when signal. systems of this type are used in connection with electric railways and are so arranged that the circuits which are con nected to the insulated rail sections carry the full voltage of the trolley wire or main conductor, it is impractical to so insulate said rail sections from the remainder of the track as to prevent leakage of the current through the insulation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel block signal system of the above-mentioned type wherein the circuits which are connected to the insulated rail sections carry current ofa comparatively small voltage, thus making it possible to insulate said rail sections sufliciently to prevent any detrimental leakage of current.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a signal system of this type wherein the low voltage circuits that are connected to the insulated rail sections derive their current from the high voltage feed wire or main conductor; to provide a signal system in which the signals are actuated by signal-setting and signal-restoring circuitsthat are arranged to carry a high voltage, such as the full voltage of the feed wire, and the opera tion of which is controlled by the low voltage circuits that are connected to the insulated rail sections, and to otherwise improve signal systems of this nature all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown a selected embodiment of my invention which illustrates the principle thereof, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a block of railway equipped with my improved signal system; Fig. 2 is a simplified diagrammatic view showing the manner of securing the low voltage circuit from the high voltage circuit and the relation between the low voltage circuit and the signal-setting cir' cuit; Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagram showing the wiring at one of the track relay boxes.

Before proceeding to describe my im provements in detail I will first refer to Fig. 1 which shows the general lay-out of the signals at each end of a block. The block shown in Fig. 1 consists of a length of single track 1 situated between two turn-outs 2 and 3, but I wish to state that my invention is equally applicable to a double track railway.

t and 5 designate signals of some approved type which are actuated by any usual signal-actuating mechanism contained in the signal boxes 7 and 8, and connected with the signal circuit 6 that runs the length of the block.

The signal circuit 6 is rendered operative to set the signals to danger when a car enters the block by the closing'of a norm ally open signal-setting circuit 11 (there preferably being one such signal-setting circuit at each end of the block), and-where the invention is applied to an electric railway these signal-setting circuits will preferably be connected to and take current from the feed wire or main conductor 12. The re storing of the signals to safety when a car leaves the block is accomplished by closing a normally open signal-restoring circuit 13 at either end of the block, and these signalrestoring circuits can conveniently take current from the main conductor 12.

The parts thus far described are or may be of any known or usual construction and form no part of my present invention; and they have been referred to merely to help in giving a clearer understanding of the present invention.

As stated above, my invention is of that car passing onto an insulated section of the rail or track, and as herein shown I form in one rail of the track at each end of the block two insulated sections 14 and 15, the insulated sections 1 1 having to do with setting the signals and the insulated sections 15 having to do with restoring the signals.

While a signal system in which the opera tion of setting or restoring the signals is initiated by a car passing onto an insulated section of track has many advantages, one of "which is that the use of car actuated tappets or contact devices is obviated, yet such a system is not practical if the insulated track sections are subjected to a high voltage, such for instance as the voltage usually carried in the feed wire or main conductor of an electric railway system, because of the difhculty in insulating the rail sections against such high voltage. In order to overcome this difliculty 1 have provided herein a system in which the connections leading to the insulated rail sections carry a current of low voltage, thus making the task of properly insulating said sections a coinparatively easy one; and have also provided means whereby the passage of a car over the insulated rail sections will render operative the circuits connected thereto thereby setting in operation the signal actuating mechanism.

Referring now to Fig. 2 which shows a simple diagram of circuits embodying my invention, the signal-setting circuit is shown at 11 and it is normally open at the contacts 16, said circuit leading to and taking current from the feed wire 12.

The signal-setting circuit is adapted to be closed at 16 by a contact member 17 which may conveniently be in the form of the armature for a magnet 18, hereinafter referred to as the signal-setting magnet. This magnet is normally deenergized but is ar ranged to be energized thereby to move the member 17 into position to bridge the eontacts 16 by the passage of a car over the insulated rail section 14..

19 designates a normally closed circuit which connects the feed wire 12 to the return, the latter beingherein shown as the rails of the track. This normally-closed circuit will therefore have impressed thereon the full voltage of the feed wire. Said circuit is shown as provided with a resistanee 20 which will cut down the amperage of the circuit, and with two contacts 21 that are normally connected electrically by a con- .tact member 22. This contact member 22 may be held in its normal operative position in any suitable way. I have herein shown it as held in such position by a magnet 28 which is energized by the current that passes through the circuit 19. The coils of the $1 al-setting magnet are 1n a shunt circuit 2-1 which connects with the closed circuit 19 at opposite sides of the contacts 21 so that when said circuit 19 is opened at said contacts the current will flow through the shunt circuit 21 and the magnet 18 thereby to energize the latter and close the signal-setting circuit. The breaking of the circuit between the contacts 21 is accomplished by or through the operation of a branch circuit 25 which is connected to the normally closed circuit 19 on the return side of the contacts 21 and is also connected to the insulated rail section 1 1. By thus connecting the branch circuit or connection 25 to the circuit 19 on the return side of the resistance 20 the difference in potential between the point where said connection leads oil from the circuit 19 and the return will be eompara- 'tively small, as also will be the diiierence in potential between the insulated rail section 14 and the return. Because of the fact that under normal conditions the difference in potential between the insulated rail sections and the main portion of the rails of the track is thus comparatively slight, it is an easy matter to provide suilicient insulation between the rail section 1a and the track to prevent any leakage from occurring at this point. The connection 25 has therein the coils of a neutralizing magnet 20 which is arranged so that when it is energized it neutralizes the action of the magnet 23. This can be accomplished by placing the two magnets so that they act on the same core and by winding them oppositely.

lVith the above described arrangement the parts will normally assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, that is, the circuit 15) will be closed, and the signal-setting circuit 11 will be open. No current will flow through the connection 25 because it is connected to the insulated rail section 11-. \Vhenever a car enters the block 1 and passes over the insulated rail section 14- said section becomes electrically connected with the return through the car truck and thus current will flow to the return through the branch eircuit 25 as well as through the circuit 19 the current which is taken oil from the main conductor 12 through the circuit 19 dividing at the point of connection between the branch circuit 25 and the circuit 10. The current thus established through the branch connection will energize the neutralizing magnet 26, and said magnet when energized, neutralizes the etlect of the magnet 9:3 so that the contact 2 will drop away from the contacts 21 thus throwii'lg the current in the circuit 19 around through the shunt circuit 2 1. The signal-setting magnet is thus energized thereby closing the signal-setting circuit and causing the signal to be set to danger. In the above arrangemeiu it will be noted that the connection 25 which leads to the insulated rail section carries a very small voltage (in practice the connection 25 carries only about two volts) and as a result it is a comparatively easy matter to effectively insulate the said rail section.

I have above described the mechanism for setting the signal when a car enters the block. The means for restoring the signal to safety as the car leaves the block is shown in Fig. 3 but has been omitted from Fig. 2 in order not to confuse the drawing.

In actual practice I propose to inclose the resistance 20, the magnets 23, 26 and 18, and the contacts 21, 22 and 16 and 17 in a track-relay box 9 which is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and may be separate from the signal box 7. In Fig. 3 I have shown the normally-closed circuit 19, the connection 25, and the signal-setting circuit 11 wired up substantially as I propose to wire them in practice, the construction being the same as that illustrated in Fig. 2 except that the contact 22 which is .pivotally mounted at 29 has an'arm 30 extending at.

right angles therefrom, which arm constitutes an armature for the magnets 23, 26 This armature arm 30 is of sufficient weight to cause the contact 22 to swing away from the contacts 21 whenever the magnetic action of the magnet 23 is neutralized as above described.

For restoring the signal to safety when a car leaves the block I employ a mechanism somewhat similar to that above described for setting the signal. The normally closed circuit 19 has connected thereto at 31 an auxiliary circuit 190, which connects with a magnet 230 and is provided with two separated contacts 210 that are adapted to be closed by a contact 220. This contact is pivoted at 290 and has rigid therewith an arm 300 that constitutes an armature for the core of the magnet 230. Said circuit 190 is further provided with the two separated contacts 35 that are adapted to be bridged by a contact 36 that constitutes the armature of a magnet 37 which is in the signal circuit 6, whereby whenever the signal circuit is closed the magnet 37 will be energized thereby to close the circuit 190 at 35. This circuit 190 has a shunt circuit 2 10 connected thereto at 61, 62 on each side of the contacts 210, and the shunt circuit has therein the coils of a signal-restoring magnet 34, the armature 33 of which is adapted to bridge the contacts 32 in the signal-restoring circuit 13.

The magnet 230 has associated therewith a neutralizing magnet 260 which is in a branch circuit 250 that leads to the insulated rail section 15, said neutralizing magnet 260 being wound so that when it is energized it will neutralize the action of the magnet 230.

The auxiliary circuit 190 has suflicient resistance 200 therein so as to obtain the required small difference in potential between the point of connection of the branch circuit 250 with the auxiliary circuit 190 and the return, and thus to provide the desired small difference in potential between the insulated rail 16 and the track.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing but may be briefly summarized as follows: When a car enters the block in the direction of the arrow and passes over the insulated rail section 1 1 the branch circuit 25 is closed thereby energizingthe neutralizing magnet 26, withthe result that the action of the magnet 23 on the armature 30 is neutralized so that the normally-closed circuit 19 is opened at 21. This throws the current around through the shunt circuit 24: and energizes the signal-setting magnet 18. whereby the signal-setting circuit 11 is closed at 16 and the signal is operated. The operation of set ting the signal to danger involves the closing ofthe signal circuit 6 and the consequent energization of the magnet 37 and closing of the auxiliary circuit 190at 35. When acar leaves the block in the direction of the arrow 5 and passes over the insulated rail section 15, the branch circuit, 250 is closed thus energizing the neutralizing magnet 300 and causing the contact 220 to separate from the contacts 210, which action opens the auxlllary circuit 190 at 210 and throws the current around through the shunt circuit 210 thereby to energize the signal-restoring magnet 34:. The energization of this magnet 34 closes the signal-restoring circuit 13 at 32 and thus results in restoring the signal to safety, it being noted that the signaLrestoring circuit connects with the circuit 11 at 71.

It will be understood that the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is or may be duplicated at the other end of the block so that the signal will be set or restored by cars entering or leaving either end of the block.

Any suitable non-interfering attachment may be employed to prevent the signal-restoring mechanism from operating when a car entering the block at 2 in the direction of the arrow at passes onto the insulated rail section 15. i

As herein shown I have provided two slotted pivoted members 6 1, 66 in theslots of which are received fingers 65 extending from the contacts 17 and 33, respectively. The arrangement of these parts is such that when the contact 17 is raised to close the signal-setting circuit at 16, the member 64 is in a position to prevent the member 66 from rising and thereby to prevent the signal-restoring circuit 13 from being closed when the branch circuit 250 is closed by the passage of a car over the insulated rail section 15. Similarly when a car is leaving the block the member 66 will prevent the signal-setting circuit from being closed when the car passes onto the insulated rail section &

1 1, and will thus prevent the signal from being set again by the same car that is leaving the block.

It will be noted that the circuit 190 is closed at 35 as soon as the signal is set and that it would be opened at this point as soon as the signal was restored. With the construction thus far described the opening of the circuit 190 would de'energize the magnet 34, thus allowing its armature 33 to drop,

and then when the car subsequently passed onto the insulated track section 14 the niech anism would be set in operation for setting the signal to danger again, it being understood that so long as the magnet 34 is energized and its armature raised the passage of a car over track section 14 will not affect the signal, as above explained. To prevent this from occurring I have provided an auxiliary contact 320 which is connected by a substitute circuit 321 to the circuit 190 at 322, so that when the contact 33 closes against the contacts 32 it also closes against the contact 320. The magnet 34 will then be connected with the source of current supply through 19, 11 to point 71, 13, contacts 32,33, 320, substitute circuit 321 and that part of circuit 190 between the point 322 and the magnet. Said magnet 34 will, therefore, be maintained energized until the car has passed out Of the block, even though the circuit 190 is broken at 35 due to the restoring of the magnet.

I have shown the circuit 19 as having therein a magnet 54, the armature 55 of which is adapted to act on a finger 56 extending from the armature 30. Since the circuit 19 is normally closed the magnet 54 will be normally energized and its armature will be held elevated out of contact with the finger 56. Ifthe current leaves the feed wire from any cause the armature 55 will drop and by engagement with the finger 56 hold the contact 22 against the contacts 21. Similarly I have provided the magnet 540 in the circuit 190 and the armature 550' to cooperate with the finger 560.

It will be understood that I may employ any usual counting in-and-out device in connection with my improved system, so as to permit a series of cars in succession to enter the block from one end and to prevent the signal from being restored to safety until all of the cars have passed out of the block at the other end.

In the above specification and claims I have used the term circuit in referring to the connections 19 and 190 between the feed wire 12 and the return.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a signal system, the combination with a main conductor carrying a comparatively high voltage and a return, of a normally-closed circuit connecting said conductor and return, a shunt circuit connected to said closed circuit, a signal-setting magnet in the shunt circuit which is normally inoperative, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connecting the normally-closed circuit to the insulated rail section, and means controlled by the branch circuit to open the normally-closed circuit between the terminals of the shunt circuit when a car passes over the insulated rail section, whereby the signal-setting magnet is rendered operative.

2. In a signal system, the combination with a main conductor carrying a comparatively high voltage and a return, of a normally-closed circuit connecting said conductor and return potential-reducing means in said circuit, a shunt circuit connected to said closed circuit, a signal-setting magnet in the shunt circuit which is normally inoperative, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connecting the insulated rail section to the normally-closed circuit on the return side of the potential-reducing means whereby the voltage between the terminals of the branch circuit is comparatively low, and means controlled by the branch circuit to open the normally-closed circuit between the terminals of the shunt circuit when a car passes over the insulated rail section, whercby the signal-setting magnet is rendered operative.

3. In a signal system, the combination with a main conductor and a return, of a circuit connecting said conductor and return, a signal setting magnet connected thereto, means acting normally to short circuit said signal-setting magnet whereby the latter is normally inactive, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connected thereto but taking current from the main conductor, means to maintain a low voltage in said branch circuit, and means rendered opera.- tive when the branch circuit is closed by connecting the insulated rail. section to the return to break the short circuit and render the signal-setting magnet operative.

4. In a signal system the con'ibination with a main conductor and return, of a. circuit connecting said conductor and return potential-reducing means in said circuit, a signal-setting magnet connected to said circuit, a locking magnet in said circuit, means operated thereby for short-circuiting the signal-setting magnet, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connecting said rail section to the first-named circuit on the return side of the potential-reducing means, and a neutralizing magnet in the branch circuit which when operative is adapted to neutralize the action of the locking magnet.

5. In a signal system, the combination with a main conductor and a return, of a circuit connecting said conductor and return and having a continuously-closed shunt connection, a resistance in said circuit, a signal-setting magnet in said shunt connection, a signaling circuit controlled by said magnet, means acting normally to short-circuit said shuntconnection whereby the signal-setting magnet is normally inactive, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connecting said insulated rail section and the first-named circuit on the return side of the resistance therein, and means rendered operative when the branch circuit is connected to the return to break the short-circuit and render the signal-setting magnet operative.

6. In a signal system, the combination with a main conductor and a return, of a circuit connecting said conductor and return, potential-reducing means in said circuit, a signal-setting magnet, a shunt circuit permanently connected to said first-named circuit and including the coils of said magnet, means operated by the current normally flowing in the first-named circuit for shortcircuiting said shunt circuit, an insulated rail section, a branch circuit connecting said rail section to said first-named circuit on the return side of the potential-reducing means, and means rendered operative by current flowing through the branch circuit to break the short-circuit connection thereby rendering the signal-setting magnet operative.

7. In a signal system, the combination with a mam conductor and areturn, of a clrcult connecting said conductor and return and provided with two contacts, a resistance section to said first-named circuit on the return side of said resistance, a signal-setting magnet, a shunt circuit including the coils of said signal-setting magnet and connected to the first-named circuit on opposite sides of said contacts, and means operated by current flowing in the branch circuit to open said contacts thus rendering the signal-setting magnet operative.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. RUDDICK.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Commissioner of latents, 

